


Your Lips Rewrite History

by coffeebuddha



Series: Noir AU [1]
Category: Castle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noir, Broken Up, Detective Noir, F/M, Genderswap, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-03
Updated: 2012-04-03
Packaged: 2017-11-03 00:06:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeebuddha/pseuds/coffeebuddha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Not a creditor then</i>, Javier thinks as he looks up at a vision straight out of his past. In the dim light that paints his office with a sepia sheen, Kevine Ryan doesn't look a day older than she did when he last saw her five years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Lips Rewrite History

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mb_jazz_freak87](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=mb_jazz_freak87).



> Apparently the feminine form of Kevin is Kevine. Who knew? Title's taken from a quote by Oscar Wilde.

"You don't have to go through with this, you know," Rick says. He leans across the car's bench seat to brush a stray lock of hair out of Kevine's eyes. His fingers linger over the curve of her ear as he tucks the strands back, then trail down over her neck to rest at the hollow of her throat. "It's not too late to find another way."

"And what would you suggest," she asks with a tight smile. Her skin feels tight and oversensitive where Rick touches her, the uncomfortable pinch of an ant's bite before the pain hits, and she dislodges his hand on the pretense of twisting to retrieve her purse from the floorboard. 

Rick blinks at her, his hand hovering in the space between them for a long moment before he lets it fall to his thigh with a sigh. "I know you're not overly fond of my money, sweetheart, but don't you think you're being foolish in not using it this time? You're being so stubborn when I only wish to help you."

Kevine twists the diamond solitaire on her ring finger and shakes her head. "This isn't one of those problems you can buy your way out of, Rick."

"I've yet to find a problem you can't," Rick says with a laugh that makes her mouth purse in distaste. Something in her expression must finally get through to him, because he straightens and turns suddenly somber. "Fine, we'll do this your way." 

The smile barely has time to settle on her lips before he tacks on, "But why does your way have to include _him_ ?"

"Because he's the best at this sort of thing. I'm not having this argument again," she says, all the firm finality she's ever heard from Kate borrowed and injected into her own tone. 

"Right, right," Rick says with a careless smile that doesn't quite disguise the frowning squint of his eyes. Kevine gives him an assessing look and when he lifts both hands in acquiescence, some of the tension leeches out of her neck and shoulders, and she nods.

"Good."

"But I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there are plenty of other, more reputable private investigators in this city who you _haven't_ been engaged to--"

"Enough," Kevine bites out. She rubs a tired hand over her face, then immediately snatches it away and grabs the compact out of her purse to check her makeup. There are a few flakes of mascara on her cheekbone that she brushes away, but no real damage done, and she closes the compact with a sharp little snap that makes Rick flinch.

"Whatever you say," Rick says. He looks aggrieved, but Kevine really can't find it in her to particularly care right now. His sensitive ego is the least of her problems right now.

She sighs and, in the interest of peace keeping, leans close enough to ghost a kiss over his cheek. He smiles, a deceptively dopey look for such an intelligent man, and Kevine forces herself to return it.

"I know you're just stressed out right now. This is a very hard time for you." His voice is gentle, the same voice he uses when little Alexis is upset.

Instead of wailing on him with her purse, Kevine blows out a long, slow breath and opens her car door.

"This shouldn't take terribly long," she says as she slides out of the car with a little wriggle that settles her pencil skirt down over her legs. "Still, if I'm not back within the hour, just wait for me at home."

He calls something after, but she's already striding down the sidewalk and doesn't catch it. Yet another thing she should probably feel worse about.

When she turns the corner a couple blocks later, she pulls off her engagement ring and drops it in her purse.

* * *

Javier is engrossed in a stack of papers that basically boil down to 'you have no money, you're so _screwed'_ when there's a knock at his door. He's not expecting anyone--his next appointment isn't until tomorrow and Lanie's out picking up their lunch--which means it's probably the creditors.

Again.

He sighs, thinks a little wistfully of the empty bottle of scotch in his bottom desk drawer, and calls out, "Come in," before he can think better of it.

"Javier." His name is spoken in a sweet, soft alto that makes his mouth go dry and his toes curl in his cheap shoes.

_Not a creditor then_ , he thinks as he looks up at a vision straight out of his past. In the dim light that paints his office with a sepia sheen, Kevine Ryan doesn't look a day older than she did when he last saw her five years ago. That's not to say she looks the same, of course. No, his Kevine would have had her hair pulled up in a chignon, not falling loose over her shoulders in soft curls. Her skin would have been freckled from too much time spent out in the sun, instead of near translucent porcelain. She had preferred trousers to the type of slinky little number she's all dolled up in now.

She looks cool, expensive, untouchable; so far removed from and yet so achingly similar to his Kevine.

Javier hates it, wants to muss her up a little to prove to himself she's not as unreal as she appears.

Instead, he pulls out a cigarette and takes a long drag. Kevine wrinkles her nose, but doesn't object.

"Never thought I'd see you again," Javier says, pleased by how unaffected his voice sounds. "Not outside of the society pages anyway. You're all over those, lately. Richard Castle is quite a catch."

She winces and he can see those five missing years in the wrinkles around her eyes.  Interesting.

"I'm not here to discuss Rick or any aspect of my personal life with you, Javier."

_Rick_ , Javier mouths silently, testing the name by rolling it over his tongue. Kevine glares at him, and Javier smiles blithely back. "Then why _are_ you here, princess?"

He can see the tight clench of her jaw while she reins in her temper. _There's_ his girl.

"Jenny's missing," she says shortly, her voice flat like she isn't talking about her beloved baby sister, and Javier straightens in his chair at the look on her face.

"Kev," he says softly, instinctively reaching out to offer comfort she shies away from.

"Will you help or not," she asks without meeting his eyes.

"Of course," Javier says immediately. "You should know you don't even need to ask."

Her lips quirk upward the barest hint at the corners at that, and this time when she looks at him, he can almost see some of the ice that's taken a hold of his sweet, warm Kevine starting to melt.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally intended as just an open ended oneshot, but I might add to it at some point in the future if there's interest and I ever manage to figure out exactly what the plot would be.


End file.
